She still had her terrace home in Surry Hills, an eastern suburb of Sydney, that she kept as a base but, since Tom had spent two or three nights a week there during their year-long relationship, she chose not to actually live there any more. She would fly in and out and collect her belongings between assignments. One day she would sell it but she hadn’t set a time frame for anything much in life.
Jessica was just glad that she had a key to her rental home and would soon be soaking in a hot tub. The thought of steaming bubbles infused with lavender brought a much-needed calm to her.
The cab driver pulled the carry-on from the boot of the car as Jessica made her way up the driveway, pulling her coat up around her ears against the bitterly cold air. The sensor light switched on as she approached the front porch, showing her the facade of her accommodation. It was very homely and looked freshly painted. It was grey with white shutters and a red wooden front door. Either side of the red door was a topiary tree in a square cement pot and in front of the door was a mat emblazoned with Welcome. She was relieved to see the small hatchback rental car was parked under the carport, as she had requested. The colour matched the front door. The garden was simple but sparse with mostly lawn and an edge of low native bushes. There was nothing that looked demanding of her time and that also made her smile. Jessica was not a green thumb so took comfort in the fact she could just engage with a mowing service a few times during her stay and leave the rest to Mother Nature.
‘I can take it from here. Thank you,’ Jessica said as she put the key in the door. Turning back to the cab driver, she gave him cash to cover the fare and a little extra.
‘Are you sure you don’t need me to help you get everything inside? You have shopping too.’
‘No, I’m fine to do it myself but thank you for offering.’ Her response was genuine and ingrained. She could manage on her own. She didn’t need a man to help her. Jessica Ayers was more than capable of taking care of herself, despite everyone being so kind since she’d arrived. The friendliness of the locals was almost making her feel at home. Under different circumstances, in another lifetime, she might have even thought it would be a lovely place to live. But everywhere was temporary to Jessica now.
The driver nodded, put the fare in his pocket and, blowing warm breath on his cupped hands, walked briskly back to the cab. Along with not needing his help, Jessica hadn’t wanted to delay him any longer. They had chatted during the brief trip and she had discovered it was the end of his shift. He was heading home to his wife and newborn baby boy after he dropped her off and she appreciated he had already waited for her to do the shopping.
With the front door open, the light from the porch illuminated the interior of the house enough for Jessica to find the inside light switch. She quickly found out the freshly renovated house was as simple and tidy inside as it was out. And there was a faint hint of fresh paint and furniture polish but neither were overpowering.
‘New start for us both, hey,’ she muttered as she carried the shopping bags inside and closed the door on the cold night air and went in search of a heater, a bath and her bed.
An hour later Jessica emerged from the bathroom with her freshly washed hair piled inside a makeshift white towel turban. The central heating had warmed up the house while she had been under the shower. She had decided a soak in a bubble bath could wait as she saw there was a hairdryer in the first drawer, along with samples of shampoo and conditioner, and clean hair might distract from the clothes she would be wearing on her first day on the job. And, much to her joy, she had found a thick white bathrobe folded on her bed. Nice touches, she thought, and decided to make good use of all of them.
If at least her hair looked clean and tidy she hoped everyone might overlook the fact she was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Thank goodness it wasn’t summer as the T-shirt she wore underneath was a gift from the plumbing service that replaced her hot water tank and their marketing slogan—If you want clean pipes, look no further—would not have been well received. Ordinarily she would never have travelled in such casual clothes, let alone considered going to work in them, but she had been pushed for time to get to the airport that afternoon and decided to stay in the clothes she had been wearing to run errands in the morning. And with the missing suitcases and no shops open, other than the grocery store, she now had no choice.
Jessica walked around the house and found it was clean, tidy and had a nice ambience to it. The furniture had character, as opposed to some of her previous rentals that had generic flat-pack-style furniture that had an impersonal motel feel. This house was homely and had recently undergone a freshen-up. All the furniture was in good condition but eclectic in style and age and she suspected it had belonged to others before it came to rest there, and that felt nice. A country home filled with furniture that came with history. One that she assumed would be country-style sweet, not sordid, as she considered her history to be.
Brushing aside thoughts of her past, Jessica made herself dinner and washed the dishes by hand. There was a dishwasher but it would have been a waste to turn it on for one dish, one glass, a knife and fork and two small pans. Besides, she had nothing much to do other than dry her hair and head to bed. She didn’t have to spend any time at all deciding what to wear on the first day of her new job—missing luggage had seen to that.
* * *
‘Are you going away again, Daddy?’
Harrison closed the story book and gently put it on the nightstand beside the bed as he looked down lovingly at his son snuggled next to him. ‘No, Bryce. Daddy’s not going anywhere.’
‘So, when I wake up you’ll be here? You won’t get on a plane and go away again?’
The innocent questions tugged at Harrison’s heart and he knew immediately he’d done the right thing in fighting for custody. For the right to keep his son safe in Armidale with those who loved him. Those who had since the day he was born. And always would.
‘I’ll be right here when you wake up and then I’ll take you over to Granny and Grandpa’s house.’
‘For breakfast?’
‘For a second breakfast, as Granny always likes to make something special for you before school,’ Harrison said as he edged off the bed and, pulling the covers up to Bryce’s ears, he ruffled his thick black hair.
Bryce giggled. ‘I hope she cooks pancakes.’
‘I do too,’ Harrison said as he kissed his son’s forehead, turned off the light and walked quietly from the room, safe in the knowledge that Bryce was right where he needed to be...and nothing and no one would ever put that at risk again.
* * *
The alarm clock ensured Jessica woke on time and found her underwear had dried on the coat hanger she had hung on the shower rail. The house had remained toasty warm overnight and she felt unusually relaxed as she lay under the warm covers surveying the room in the daylight that was creeping through the gaps in the heavy curtains. The walls were a very pale blush, so pale that she hadn’t even noticed the night before and had thought it to be cream, but now she could see the hint of colour. It was also in the bedspread and the throw cushions that Jessica had placed on the armchair the night before. There were two framed prints, both of birds, and the furniture was made of oak, including the bedhead.
For a rental, it was quite lovely, she thought as she climbed from under the covers. She could have slept in a little longer as she had over an hour before she was due at the hospital but, as always, she wanted to arrive early. She also wanted to call the airport and remind them to send her bags to the hospital the moment the plane touched down, so she could change into something more suitable as soon as possible.
A quick shower and an equally quick breakfast of oats with blue gum honey and a cup of tea followed by an equally quick phone call to the airport saw Jessica lock the front door of her home thirty minutes later. She had checked directions on her phone the night before. When she rented the house, she was made aware th
at it was less than ten minutes from the hospital. But then in a town the size of Armidale most homes were only that distance from where the hospital was located.
As she stepped outside into the cold morning she couldn’t help but notice the scent of the country air envelop her. It stopped her in her tracks for the briefest moment. The perfume from the large eucalyptus tree in the neighbouring yard travelled on the chilly breeze. There was no smog, no smell of heavy early morning traffic or industry. The fresh, naturally scented air was one of life’s simple pleasures that she hadn’t realised she had been missing.
Until that moment.
She wondered if there was anything else that this country town might remind her that she had been missing. A year of relatively short-term placements arranged by a national medical locum agency was beginning to grow old for Jessica, but she was scared to stop. Scared to consider other options. A sense of safety came from having the decision of what to do next made by a third party. And the security that came from not forming relationships, other than with colleagues, sat well with Jessica. While there was a sense of emptiness that couldn’t be ignored, she decided that was better than the pain of heartache that came from getting close and having it fall apart.
Moments later as she drove along, with a little nervousness stirring in her stomach as it tended to on the first day in a new role, she tried to avoid looking down at her clothes. She cringed as she caught sight of her jeans, sweater and grey and lime-green runners and prayed her bags would arrive from Sydney that morning as promised.
* * *
‘I’m Errol Langridge. It’s so lovely to meet you, Dr Ayers, and, speaking on behalf of the Board of the Armidale Regional Memorial Hospital, we’re thrilled to have you on staff, albeit for a short time.’ The older, impeccably dressed man shook Jessica’s hand gently but for the longest time. His clothing had a country feel in the blue and white check shirt and chambray trousers but the quality of both was evident. And the sincerity of his words shone through the smile in his pale blue eyes. ‘Quite a coup for us, if I do say so myself. Not often that we have a temporary position filled by someone as experienced as yourself. Short contracts are usually taken up by those straight out of medical school.’
‘I’m very happy to be here, Professor Langridge,’ Jessica replied, well aware of the status of the older doctor. She had noted his title on the letter he had sent to her when she’d accepted the role. ‘And please, Jessica is fine by me.’
‘And you must use Errol. Equality for both sexes, plus it makes me feel less than my sixty-eight years if you use my first name.’
‘Then Errol it is.’
The Professor smiled a half smile before his expression became serious with the sudden sound of an impending ambulance. The main doors of the hospital opened just as the vehicle pulled into the bay and the sound carried into the foyer. He motioned for Jessica to follow him down the corridor. His steps were fast and purposeful as he turned his head slightly to speak over his shoulder to her.
‘I think now is as good a time as any to visit the ER. You’ll see our staff doing what they do best. And, once the commotion subsides, I’ll introduce you to our Head of ER, Harrison Wainwright. You’ll be working closely with him, no doubt, as many of our paediatric patients are admitted from there. He’s been at the hospital for so long he’s almost an institution, although he’s still the good side of forty, unlike most of us in senior roles. He’s a tough taskmaster but it works for most; besides, we can’t seem to get rid of him anyway.’
Jessica’s eyes widened and her mouth drew tight as she quickly caught up with the older man. She hoped it would work for her too. Working alongside a man with an attitude was not on her wish list, particularly one they couldn’t get rid of, perhaps due to his connections or watertight contract. She suddenly felt her stomach churn again. Paediatrics was a long way from ER and hopefully their paths would not cross too often during the six weeks.
Without taking a breath, the Professor continued as his eyes wrinkled in laughter, ‘You must forgive my sense of humour or, as my wife says, my bad taste in jokes. We are eternally grateful that he’s never indicated he wants to leave us. He actually grew up around this part of the world and we’re glad he returned. The hospital couldn’t function without him. He’s brilliant and I can’t praise him enough and the medical students and patients love him. The nurses do too, but for very different reasons, I’m sure.’
Jessica wasn’t quite sure how to take the Professor’s conflicting character reference for her colleague as she followed him into the Emergency Department. While he’d quelled her concerns on one hand, she certainly didn’t want to go near the reason the nurses loved the man.
A stretcher suddenly rushed past them, making Jessica draw in her breath as if that would give them more room. It was a silly reaction and made no sense to her, particularly as a doctor accustomed to the Emergency Department of a great number of hospitals, but not much had made sense in the last few days. The first patient, a young woman, had been immobilised with a cervical collar, so a neck injury had clearly been suspected by the paramedics, and her right leg was in a splint; by her appearance, Jessica assumed she was a teenager. She stepped back again quickly as a second barouche approached them.
‘Motor vehicle accident,’ the paramedic began as they wheeled the patients into bays opposite each other as directed by the nursing staff. ‘Two passengers. Female suspected spinal cord injury, broken ankle and minor lacerations. Male with lacerations to hand and forehead. No other visible or apparent injury.’
The second accompanying young male patient had a bandage to his head but he was alert and firing questions at everyone. His hand was also bandaged but other than that he appeared unscathed by whatever incident had occurred. A female paramedic attempted to calm and comfort him but it appeared to be to no avail. Quickly the medical team approached and an immediate handover ensued. The second patient was assigned two nurses and a young doctor, whom she suspected was an intern, while the first with the serious injuries had the attention of many more of the ER staff. The alert patient was distressed but appeared under control.
Suddenly another stretcher entered the ER with two paramedics in tow. ‘Hit and run on Mundy Street. Suspected fractured femur. Female, seventy-three years of age.’
‘Dr Steele, once you assess your patient, if there’s no immediate risk, please leave him with the nurses and attend to our elderly patient,’ a deep voice called out from beside the young female patient in the adjacent bay. Jessica could see the back of a tall man in a white consultant’s coat. He stood over six foot, close to six foot two, she guessed. The deepest brown, almost black hair and a commanding presence by the way everyone looked to him for instruction. She suspected he was the Head of ER about whom Errol had been speaking only moments earlier.
Jessica watched the young doctor speak briefly with the two nurses and then, as instructed, head over to the paramedics and the new arrival.
It certainly was a busy Emergency Department, just as Errol had told her only minutes before, but it was running smoothly and that was no easy task as there were already patients in another two bays being attended by staff. Jessica couldn’t help but agree the department was a well-oiled machine. No one hesitated or appeared to be second-guessing. The Head of ER was, in Jessica’s mind, to be admired. It took a high level of calm, an ability to triage patients and manage staff with a good understanding of their strengths and their skills to maintain a calm environment for the patients.
Jessica watched on in silence as the empty bay was filled with another patient, transferred from the stretcher onto the hospital gurney. That level of synergy and professionalism was exactly what she hoped to maintain in Paediatrics during her time at the hospital.
But within moments that very calm began to dissipate.
The young man left in the nurses’ care suddenly tugged his arm away from the petite nurse and attempted to climb
down from the bed. His feet were almost on the ground.
‘It’s all my fault...it’s all my fault,’ he repeated loudly, the words spurred by unbridled emotion. ‘I need to see her. I need to say sorry and see she’s okay.’
Jessica was aware the young nurse was struggling to contain the situation and the ER did not need an overly emotional patient breaking free and interfering with another patient’s treatment in order to purge his guilt.
Jessica spun around to the dispenser behind her and donned a pair of disposable gloves and a disposable gown from the top of a nearby pile. ‘Excuse me, Professor. I’d like to start my shift now, if that’s all right with you.’
Errol looked a little confused but nodded as Jessica headed over to the bay where the ruckus was taking place.
‘I’m Dr Ayers and I’d like to help you,’ she announced as she firmly placed her hand on his legs and then lifted them back onto the gurney.
The nurses both looked at Jessica in surprise and she picked up on their confusion.
‘I thought you could use some assistance. I’m locum Paediatric Consultant. I commenced at the hospital this morning and must apologise that I’ve not been issued with my ID yet,’ she told them as she motioned towards Errol, aware her current clothing, still visible under the thin blue gown, made her look anything but a medical professional. ‘Professor Langridge can vouch for me.’
The older nurse glanced over at Errol, who was nodding his consent, while the younger one took Jessica at face value and together they attempted to control the situation.
‘Can you please give me your name?’ Jessica asked the young patient while she assessed the proximity of the medical equipment within the bay. A stethoscope lay on the portable trolley nearby so she scooped it up and popped it around her neck. The young man began to calm slightly as if he knew fighting was futile as the nurse attached the monitors to him to record his heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation.
Mending the Single Dad's Heart Page 3